Nobody's Perfect
by soccerchic6
Summary: After witnessing a deadly robbery, Adrienne is stuck with Detective Lassiter for her own protection. Carlton/OC and implied Shawn/Juliet!
1. Chapter 1

**I've been on a Psych marathon, thanks to Netflix, and realized that I am in love with Lassiter, lol. This story will follow my OC, Adrienne. There's also implied Shawn/Juliet…though it will be seen through Adrienne's point of view.**

**The usual disclaimer of Psych not belonging to me.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>"Hey, Ralph!"<p>

The middle-aged man looked up from behind the counter offering her a warm smile in greeting. "Adrienne! How was the shift today?"

"Ugh, tiring as usual. Ended up pulling a double. Car accident on the highway. The driver was mangled up pretty bad."

"I saw that on the news! Crazy kids, drinking and driving. What the hell were they thinking?"

Adrienne Bennett sidled up to the counter, picking up a grocery basket on her way. She gave her friend a shrug. "Who knows? Maybe they think they're invincible."

They made small talk. Adrienne asked about Ralph's family and how business was doing. Ralph chided her for being such a workaholic and nagged her about finding a "good boy to settle down with", as he put it. She enjoyed her late night jaunts into her local corner store and her usual chats with Ralph.

After a few minutes, their conversation came full circle, and Ralph asked the question that had probably been on his mind since Adrienne had mentioned the car accident.

"Did he make it…the driver?"

She clutched at her heart feigning to be hurt. "Ralph, how dare you ask me this question?" Then she smiled at him, reaching over to pat his hand. "Don't worry. I'm not the best surgeon in Santa Barbara County Hospital for nothing."

"That's my girl." He squeezed her hand in response. "Don't think I was doubting you, Adrienne. You're a damn hero in my book. Not many people can say that they save a life every single day."

She felt her cheeks flush at his compliment. Adrienne had never thought of herself as a hero. She was a doctor; it was her job to save lives.

"What can I say? I'm a life saver," she joked, grabbing her basket and heading down one of the aisles.

"And a damn good one," Ralph called out after her.

Adrienne shook her head in amusement as she began her shopping. She had stopped by the store on her way home from work for some food staples. Milk, bread, eggs…beer. She was still in her scrubs, having pulled off an almost twenty hour shift at the hospital. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail. Wisps of hair that had escaped from their confines framed her face.

She was exhausted, but her refrigerator and pantry were practically growing cobwebs. She was down to one can of tuna and some stale crackers that were probably already months old. The next day was her day off and, after such a long shift, she knew she was going to spend the day in bed catching up on her sleep.

Perusing through the aisles, she barely heard the ring of the door as someone else entered the store. She hummed along to the music playing on the speakers as she debated whether she should just go ahead and stock up on everything she needed. Adrienne was in the middle of checking off her mental grocery list when she heard arguing. She dismissed it at first, figuring that whoever had entered the store was probably annoyed at running an errand so late at night. But then the muffled dispute grew louder.

She chanced a peek around an aisle and almost dropped her basket in alarm. Two men were standing in front of the counter...right where she had been standing earlier talking to Ralph. The poor man was now holding his arms up in defense. The men were both dressed in black, ski masks pulled over their faces.

Adrienne slowly placed the grocery basket on the floor, careful not to make any noise. She reached into her pocket for her cell phone. Her trained surgeon hands remained steady as she dialed 911 despite the fear that was reverberating throughout her entire body. However, before she even had a chance to talk to the operator, a shot rang out followed by a pained cry.

Adrienne gasped in surprise, stuffing the phone in her shirt pocket but not ending the call. She was scared, but her medical training and instincts had her running to the front of the store to see if anyone had been hurt.

She was met by the two men. One looked young. If she had to guess, she would figure him to be about 16 or 17. His scrawny figure and overall sense of panic made Adrienne think that this was his first time committing a crime. The other man was big and burly. He seemed to be the leader, holding a gun in his hand which was quickly whipped around to her.

She held up her hands, knowing how futile the action was if they decided to shoot her. But it was the only thing she could think of to show that she wasn't a threat. Ralph was nowhere to be seen, but a quick glimpse to the floor behind the counter showed her worst fear. A trail of blood was slowly streaming around the corner.

"Please...let me help him," she pleaded, surprised at how strong her voice sounded. "I'm a doctor."

She prayed that the 911 operator could hear her. Adrienne didn't want to be too obvious, but she hoped that the message would get through that somebody was hurt.

"Where were you?" the leader sneered.

They had obviously planned on the store being empty considering it was almost three in the morning. A quick robbery, go in and go out, no harm done. Only things had gone wrong. From what little she could gather, Ralph had tried to fight back, and he was shot in the process. Now, the robbers also had an eyewitness to add to their problems.

"I-In the back...I didn't see anything," she answered truthfully. She had heard the shot, but she hadn't actually seen what had happened. "Please," she pleaded with them again, "take whatever you want. Just let me try to save him."

She was painfully aware of the precious seconds that were ticking by as the two men contemplated what to do. The trickle of blood she had seen earlier was now flowing faster. Adrienne's heart sped up, more in urgency than in fear. At the moment, all that mattered was Ralph. Considering the amount of blood he was losing, his life was hanging precariously on a balance.

After what seemed like an eternity, the leader finally nodded, wagging the gun over to where Ralph was laying. She immediately checked her friend's vitals, noting the weak pulse and stilted breathing. He let out a low groan as she placed pressure on his wound to stem the blood. The bullet appeared to have pierced through his abdominal area.

"It's okay, Ralph. I've got you. Everything's going to be okay," she whispered fervently.

Behind her, she could hear the robbers ransacking what they could. Sirens began to wail in the distance, and Adrienne silently thanked them for such a quick response.

"What did you do?" The leader suddenly appeared next to her, pressing the gun against her temple.

"Nothing!" She held up one hand while the other kept pressure on the wound.

"Nothing, huh?" His hand reached into her pocket to pull out her cell phone.

The screen was still turned on, traitorously showing the call and the amount of time that had passed since she had placed it. He cocked the gun as the sirens grew louder.

"Jerry, what are you doin', man?" The young guy sounded hysterical. "The other one could have been self defense but this? This is cold blooded murder!"

Jerry narrowed his eyes at the kid as if imploring him silently to shut up.

"We gotta go, man!" The kid cried out. "The cops are getting closer!"

Jerry looked at her, his dark eyes menacing. He pulled the gun away and tucked it into his waistband. "If you talk, I'll find you." The threat hung in the air, and she gave him a curt nod. Seconds later, they were gone.

She turned her attention back to Ralph as car tires screeched outside and several police officers entered the store, their guns poised and ready.

"Over here!" she called out from behind the counter. "Call an ambulance, somebody's been shot!"

She barely heard the officers make the call. Ralph was her priority. She barely noticed that her hands and scrubs were soaked in blood. Saving her friend was all that mattered.

"Adrienne," Ralph whispered hoarsely. His skin was ashen, and she knew that he didn't have much time. She mentally cursed the ambulance for taking so long.

"Shh, don't talk. Save your strength," she whispered back.

"My family...tell them..." he gave out a weak cough, a string of blood trickling from his mouth. "Tell them I love them."

"You can tell them yourself," she chastised him. "You have to stay strong, Ralph. Stay strong and you'll be okay."

She felt so helpless. Ralph needed emergency surgery. Years of medical training and, in the end, there was nothing she could do. He opened his mouth to say something else, but she quieted him.

"I...know. I'm...in good hands." He gave her a feeble smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Then, with a final sigh escaping from his lips, he closed his eyes and fell limp in her hands.

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><p><strong>Next chapter: The gang's all here! Well, mostly. Detectives Lassiter and O'Hara investigate the robbery with Shawn, Gus, and even McNab thrown in the mix. :D<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, alerted, and favorited! :D**

**Last night's premiere got me so excited! A great start to another incredible season. :) **

**Thanks again and enjoy!**

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><p>Adrienne rolled her neck on her shoulders. It had been an extremely long day. She had already given her statement to the police officers but was told to wait for the detectives to arrive. Apparently, this was one in a strong of robberies that had been happening in the past few weeks...and the first with a fatal outcome.<p>

She had managed to clean up a little. The paramedics had provided her with a clean towel which she had used to wipe the blood from her hands. Outside, the sky was still dark, though she knew that in a couple of hours it was going to be the dawn of a new day. She closed her eyes, letting out a tired sigh. How could the birds still sing? How could the sun still come up? How could _life_continue when such a good man had just been lost?

"Dr. Adrienne Bennett?" A deep voice pulled her from her thoughts.

Her eyes flew open, gaze searching for the voice. There was a man was walking up to her. He was dressed in a dark suit, a bold contrast to his clear blue eyes.

"Yes?" she asked, though she already knew that he was the detective she was waiting for.

"I'm Detective Lassiter," he said, then pointed to a woman behind him, her blonde hair slightly disheveled. "And this is Detective O'Hara."

Adrienne nodded in greeting, not really knowing what else to say. Exchanging pleasantries after such an awful night seemed pointless.

"Can you please tell us what happened?" Detective Lassiter asked, not even bothering to look at her. He flipped through some pages on the clipboard he held.

Adrienne recounted the same story she had told the police officers. She began from the moment she had heard someone enter the store all the way to where the officers had finally arrived on the scene.

"We understand you are the only witness in this robbery?" More flipping of pages.

"Yes, that's correct," she replied.

"And what exactly were you doing in the store at three in the morning?" His blue eyes finally flicked up to her hazel ones. Adrienne almost gasped in surprise at the intensity of his gaze, but she stood her ground.

She raised an eyebrow at him resisting the urge to point out her obvious clothing. A slew of sarcastic remarks played through her mind, but she bit down on them, blaming her tetchy temper on her overall tiredness. The detectives, after all, were just doing their job. It was obvious, at least from Detective O'Hara's harried appearance, that they had both been woken up from their sleep to investigate.

"I'm a doctor," Adrienne explained a little sardonically. Lassiter narrowed his eyes at her as if to say that had gotten the joke and was not impressed. "Ralph's Corner Store is open twenty four hours. With my crazy schedule, it just makes it easier for me to pick up some quick groceries on my way home from work."

"I see," Lassiter said. He looked back down at his clipboard. "And what is your relationship with Mr. Lopez?"

"Ralph is..._was_a friend of mine." Adrienne took a deep breath, the night's events still painfully fresh in her mind.

"Did you know him well?" O'Hara asked softly, a kind and understanding smile forming on her face.

"Not really, no," Adrienne admitted shamefully. "We would make small talk whenever I came into the store but that was the extent of it."

The questioning went on for a few more minutes. Adrienne answered as precisely, and as cordially, as she could. She wanted justice for Ralph and the only way that could be done was for her to give them every little detail.

"Is there anything else?" she asked after they wrote down her information. "Because I _really_just want to get home and - "

"Hey, guys, sorry we're late!"

"Spencer!" Lassiter hissed. "What the hell are you doing here? Isn't it a little early for you to be up?"

"Gus and I were watching an all-night marathon of _Family Ties_when we got the call."

Lassiter looked at O'Hara who just shrugged sheepishly.

"Don't blame Jules, Lassie. We would've gotten here sooner or later."

Adrienne watched the exchange with a perplexed expression. Spencer must have sensed her confusion because he turned around to introduce himself.

"Shawn Spencer, head psychic of the Santa Barbara Police Department." He held out his hand, and she shook it tentatively, telling him her name. "And this is my partner, Ovaltine Jenkins."

She frowned, not really knowing if she had heard him right. "I'm sorry?"

"Yes, I would be sorry, too, if that was my name," Spencer said, shaking his head.

"No, I meant...never mind. The police department hires psychics now?" she asked, running a hand through the wisps of hair that had escaped her ponytail.

Lassiter let out an annoyed grunt. "They wouldn't if it was up to me," he grumbled, as Spencer put his fingers on his temples.

"I'm seeing...machines beeping, tubes, bright lights...scalpel," Spencer gasped. He narrowed his eyes at her. "You're a surgeon."

Adrienne looked down to see if she had her ID badge on her only to find nothing. "Yes, I am," she said, crossing her arms over her chest as she still looked at him skeptically.

"Also, you're a runner. It helps you unwind after a long shift. You write a lot, by hand...and you're not a social person. Works keeps you too busy to go out."

She quirked an eyebrow at him, surprised by his accuracy. "Correct on all accounts," she conceded. She turned to the detectives. "So, is that it? I gave you my statement, and got evaluated by a psychic...am I free to go?"

"Wait...there's something else," Spencer called out. "Something you're not telling us."

"Are you withholding information?" Lassiter barked. "Because if you are, I can have you arre- "

"Whoa, Lassie, chill." Spencer held his hands up. "I'm sensing anxiety...fear."

O'Hara stepped forward, an apologetic look on her face after her partner's burst. "It's normal to be scared after what you witnessed," she said. "It's okay. We can protect you."

Adrienne hesitated. It wasn't that she was scared. She just didn't think this little bit of information was any useful to the case.

She let out a long breath, feeling everyone's eyes on her. "Right before the police arrived, one of the robbers - the stocky one - took my phone. He was about to shoot me for calling for help, but the younger guy stopped him. He said...he said he would find me if I talked." She rubbed her arms as if warding off a chill. "But it was an empty threat, right? He can't possibly get my home address or whatever just from my phone."

"We can never be too sure," O'Hara answered. "In a case like this, we have to take every threat seriously."

"We'll have a squad car take you home," Lassiter said, looking around for the nearest police officer. "McNab, get over here!"

With a quick "Yes, sir" the giant of an officer hurried over.

"That won't be necessary. I live right down the block," Adrienne objected.

"McNab, make sure Dr. Bennett gets home safely." Adrienne opened her mouth to protest further, but Lassiter's icy blue gaze left no room for argument. "We'll have an officer posted outside your home for the next couple of days just to be on the safe side."

"Fine," she finally said in defeat.

She followed Officer McNab outside but not before stopping at the door. She turned back, her eyes lingering over the counter where she had last talked to Ralph. She wasn't a hero...far from it. Heroes didn't let their friends die. With a soft sigh and a heavy heart, she reluctantly looked away and went home.

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><p>Adrienne pulled a hoodie over her head as she made her way out the door. After hours of attempting sleep, she had finally decided that she needed to go for a jog to clear her mind. She was just reaching the sidewalk when Officer McNab stopped her.<p>

"Dr. Bennett, you're not supposed to be out here. It can be dangerous," he said, holding his hands out.

"I'll be fine," she said, waving a dismissive arm. "You can follow me in the car if you want...unless you want to run with me in full uniform."

"I have orders from Detective Lassiter that you're not to leave the house."

Adrienne frowned. "And why the hell not?" McNab winced at her tone, so she softened her voice. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little surprised. I didn't realize I was under house arrest."

"Technically you're not, but it would be best if you remained inside your home until we're sure there's no threat."

She looked up at him and saw the pleading in his eyes. He wasn't going to force her to stay, but he didn't want to go against orders either. Adrienne didn't want him to get in trouble or put him in a difficult position.

"Okay, fine. I'll stay home. But next time you talk to Detective Lassiter, you tell him I want a word with him."

"Will do, ma'am."

She made her way back into her house and towards her back room. If she couldn't run outside, she would run inside. She started off slowly on the treadmill, warming up before picking up the pace. Adrienne was a good fifteen minutes in when the screeching of tires caught her attention. She jumped off the treadmill, rushing to the living room where she saw her bay window explode as something crashed through it. She let out a gasp, instinctively putting her arms over her face as glass shards rained onto her living room floor.

"Dr. Bennett!" McNab was pounding on her door. "Are you okay?"

Adrienne unlocked the door for him, and he bounded in, his pistol in the air as he looked around for more threats. Her tennis shoes crunched over the broken glass as she reached down to pick up the object that had been thrown through the window. It was a rock, with a piece of paper wrapped around it. She vaguely heard McNab on the radio calling for backup as she unwrapped the paper and turned it around. Her heart raced as she read the words on the sheet.

_I warned you. You'll pay for talking_.


	3. Chapter 3

**A special thanks to Loafer for lending a helping ear! :D **

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><p>"What!" Both Adrienne and Lassiter shouted at the same time.<p>

To be perfectly honest, she hadn't meant to shout, but the chief's announcement had caught her off guard. She took a deep breath, sliding forward to the edge of her seat. Beside her, Detective Lassiter has pushed off the wall he was leaning against. He stood next to her, hands fisted at his sides as he gaped at the chief in surprise.

After the incident with the rock being thrown through her window, McNab had driven Adrienne to the police department where she now found herself in Chief Vick's office with Detective Lassiter. O'Hara had been ordered to stay behind in Adrienne's house to continue the investigation while Vick met with both Adrienne and Lassiter.

"I'm sorry, but can you repeat all of that again?" Adrienne asked, trying to keep her voice reasonable. "I haven't slept in what seems like forever, and I think I just heard you say that Detective Lassiter will be 'assigned' to me for as long as the culprits are out there."

"That's exactly what I said," Chief Vick answered calmly despite the rising tension in the room. "You may not realize this, Dr. Bennett, but you are in real danger. You are the only witness in this case, and you've been threatened twice already."

"Chief," Lassiter let out a humorless laugh, "you can't be serious. Surely, there are others - "

"There _are _others, Detective, but you're the best," the chief said simply.

Lassiter took a step back, his ears turning slightly red at her compliment. Adrienne ran a hand through her hair still not convinced that this was the best course of action.

"Chief Vick," she began again, "with all due respect, but I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." She ignored the derisive snort that came from Lassiter. "Besides, I have a full workload. I have three surgeries scheduled tomorrow and another four the day after that. I can't just leave. There are people counting on me."

"Dr. Bennett," Chief Vick kindly interrupted her with a tired sigh. "I know what I'm asking is a lot to take in, but you have to understand the predicament that you're in." Her phone rang, and she held up a polite hand effectively stalling their conversation while she answered it.

Adrienne rubbed her hands over her face. The past day had been an absolute nightmare. She felt like things had gone from bad to worse. Work was her sanctuary. When she was in that surgery room, everything else was forgotten. Any problems, any personal matters were pushed aside.

She glanced over at Lassiter who had grown surprisingly quiet after the chief's compliment. His sharp blue eyes were going over the case file while the chief was on the phone. His long fingers deftly flipped through the pages with practiced ease. He had removed his suit jacket. The white button shirt he was wearing under his gun holster was rolled up at the sleeves.

Other than the usual questioning back at her house, he hadn't spoken more than two words to her. Adrienne definitely wasn't looking forward to having him tag along with her. She was already envisioning either awkward silences or the clashing of their obviously opposite personalities.

"Looks like this case just took a turn for the worst," Chief Vick said, hanging up the phone with a grave look on her face.

Lassiter immediately perked up. "What happened?"

"Another robbery, two fatalities this time...no witnesses." Chief Vick turned to look at her. "Dr. Bennett, I don't think I have to remind you how serious this is."

Adrienne nodded meekly. She certainly hadn't expected the robbers to hit again, much less murder more innocent people. She sank into the chair, the energy suddenly drained from her.

"Chief," Lassiter called out excitedly. "What are the details? Maybe I can meet O'Hara over there...just give me two minutes to get my things."

"Carlton," the chief warned as Lassiter reached the door. "You're not going anywhere." Adrienne saw Lassiter's shoulders sag slightly as he returned to stand in front of the chief's desk. "I'm going to have a safe house set up for you. You'll still be involved in the case, only you'll be doing it from home, so to speak."

Adrienne's mind was still reeling from the news. She heard Lassiter and Chief Vick arguing, but she paid them no attention. A million other things raced through her head. The chief was clearly not going to let this go. Now, with this other crime, it seemed like Adrienne was definitely going to be stuck with Detective Lassiter in that safe house until the case was solved. Unless...

"Chief Vick," Adrienne suddenly announced as she got to her feet. "I have a proposition to make." She took a breath. "I will agree to your suggestion of 'disappearing' for a while. I'll call the hospital and take some emergency leave for a few days."

"But?" the chief asked, raising an eyebrow.

"But," she answered slowly, "I don't want to be in a safe house." Adrienne held up her hands to stop the other woman from saying anything. "Please, just hear me out. My parents live about an hour away from Santa Barbara...in a little town called Pueblo Viejo. I'll be perfectly safe there, and Detective Lassiter won't have to worry about...babysitting me."

"Thank you," Lassiter said as if someone was actually making sense now. "You see, Chief, she'll be safe, and I can get on with solving this - "

"I don't like it." Chief Vick moved around to the front of her desk and leaned against it. Lassiter groaned, and Adrienne resisted the urge to slouch in defeat. "I have to admit, moving you out of Santa Barbara for the time being sounds like a good idea. But I don't want you out there alone."

Adrienne was about to protest when Lassiter spoke up. "I'll call the sheriff, or whoever's in charge of this little town, myself. Make sure she's taken care of."

The chief shook her head. "No, the less Pueblo Viejo's law enforcement knows, the better. There's a lot of red tape we'll have to cross if they know Dr. Bennett is a protected witness." She crossed her arms over her chest, her face turning thoughtful. "Okay, I'll allow you to go to your parent's house."

"But?" Adrienne asked carefully. She was a little surprised that the chief was taking her idea into consideration. Though, at this point, she would take what she could. Whatever Chief Vick decided would be alright with her.

"But Detective Lassiter will be going with you."

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><p>What Chief Vick had decided was definitely <em>not <em>alright with her.

Adrienne was sitting at O'Hara's desk. She had already made arrangements with the hospital. Her supervisor had been more than glad to give her some days off considering Adrienne practically lived at the hospital.

She sat back in the chair, her body exhausted. And the day wasn't over yet. She still had to go cancel her cell phone plan and pick up a new phone, stop by her house to pack some clothes, and make the hour long drive to her parent's place. Speaking of...she hadn't called her parents yet. Adrienne had been putting it off. Going home wasn't a problem. No, it was having to explain Lassiter to them that Adrienne was worried about.

She reached for the phone again, quickly reading the instructions Chief Vick had given her on how to dial long distance. Her mom answered on the second ring.

"Mom, hey, it's me!"

"_Adrienne_?" Her mom sounded a little worried despite Adrienne's attempt to be overly cheerful. "_What's wrong, honey? Is everything okay? Where are you calling from? I don't recognize the number._"

Adrienne winced. Her mom was a natural worrier, and the last thing Adrienne wanted was to add to that. "My cell phone was stolen. I stopped by the police department to report it, and they let me use their phone," she hastily explained, knowing how dumb it sounded. She quickly changed the subject before her mom could find something wrong with her excuse. "Listen, the reason I'm calling is because I start my vacation today, and I was wondering if I could stay with you guys for a few days." Adrienne pinched the bridge of her nose. She hated lying to her parents.

"_Of course, honey! Why did you even bother calling? You know that we love having you here. With your busy schedule, we'll take whatever time we can get with you_."

"I know, mom, it's just that..." Adrienne hesitated, still unsure as to how to add Lassiter into the conversation. "There's someone coming with me, and I wanted to see if it was okay."

"_I don't see why that would be a problem. Who's coming? Is it your friend, Jane, from college? How's she doing? Is she still with that boy...what's his name? Never mind, I can just ask her when you get here - _"

"No, Mom, hold on, it's not Jane." Adrienne's eyes followed Lassiter as he left the chief's office. His face was a little red, and Adrienne guessed that his request to get out of his new detail had been denied. She took a breath, almost choking on what she said next. "It's my boyfriend, Carlton."


	4. Chapter 4

**I've gotta say, I'm a little jealous that Lassiter has a love interest now. :/ But, at the same time, he deserves it, and I love seeing him happy. :D How freakin' adorable was that note he wrote? **

**Anyway, enjoy!**

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><p>"Why the hell would you say that!" Lassiter growled.<p>

Adrienne shrugged helplessly. "What else was I supposed to say? 'Hey mom and dad, there might be a killer after me, and I'm under police protection'?"

"That's _exactly _what you should have said."

She shook her head, shifting in her seat to face him. "No, I don't want them to worry. You can't tell them." Almost as an afterthought, she added, "Please."

He didn't look at her. His eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses, were focused on the road.

"I hate this," he muttered under his breath. "I shouldn't be here driving to Puebla Verde or whatever your little town is called. I should be in Santa Barbara solving this case."

"It's _Pueblo Viejo_, and I hate this as much as you do." She turned to face the front, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I highly doubt that. I don't know why Chief Vick didn't just assign this mundane task to – "

"Okay, I get it, you're mad!" Adrienne finally exploded, throwing her hands up in the air. "I'm mad, too! I got out of an eighteen hour shift, watched my friend die in my arms, had my life threatened _twice_, and I haven't slept for almost two days!" She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She was never one to lose her temper, but considering the circumstances she felt she had a right to. Lassiter had done nothing but complain since the chief had made her final decision to keep them together. "We're in the same boat here, Detective, so we might as well make the best of it."

Adrienne was a little ashamed at her outburst, but it seemed to have worked. Maybe he just needed for someone to talk to him forcefully so that he could understand. After a few minutes, he finally spoke up.

"And by 'making the best of it' you mean…"

"Stop treating me like I'm a damn perpetrator, and start acting like you're in love."

He let out a snort. "Yeah, like that's gonna happen."

Adrienne sighed, rubbing her temples in an effort to ward off the headache she knew was coming. They were still half an hour away from Pueblo Viejo, not to mention an additional fifteen minutes to get to her parent's house. She didn't know how much longer she was going to last being in the car with Lassiter. She tried a different approach.

"Pretend you're undercover," she suggested.

He cocked his head to the side as he mused over her idea. After a few minutes, a smile lit up his face. "Undercover…yeah. I can be Thomas 'Gunny' Highway – "

"No, you're still Carlton Lassiter," Adrienne interjected. "I already told my mom your name. And you're a detective."

"But I already _am _a detective! That's not going undercover," he protested, a frown now forming on his face.

"Okay, how about you're pretending to be Detective Carlton Lassiter, but your 'real' name is Bunny Highway? Will that work?"

"_Gunny_, and yeah that'll work. I need to come up with an elaborate backstory for High – "

"I think we should focus more on Detective Carlton Lassiter and Dr. Adrienne Bennett," she stated emphatically. "I can come up with all sorts of things about you, but my parents are going to expect you to know things about me. And you only have…" she checked her watch, "…about thirty-five minutes to learn all you can about me."

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, just give it to me in a nutshell."

"My mom was a nurse, and my dad was a contractor. I have two brothers, both older. J.R. is married with two kids, and Evan will be getting married in a couple of months. I'm a general surgeon, but I specialize in trauma and usually get called in for emergencies. I'd rather stay at home reading a book than go out to a club. I love cheesy sci-fi movies and running on the beach."

"Do you also like piña coladas and getting caught in the rain?" he asked sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes at him. "I prefer beer, and I happen to love the rain."

"Anything else I should know?"

"I guess that's it for now. We can play the rest by ear," she answered. She glanced over at him, eyes roving over his clothing. "You're wearing a suit?"

"What's wrong with that? I always wear a suit."

"Did you bring anything else?"

"Well, considering I didn't know we were 'going away for the weekend', _sweetheart_, I didn't really pay much attention to my attire. I just have the overnight bag I always keep in my car."

"Do you even have any other type of clothing in there?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. She chose to ignore the comment about the overnight bag. The less she knew about his personal life, the better.

"Yes," he said, his voice sounding a little annoyed. Adrienne reached over and started loosening his tie. "What the hell are you doing? I'm driving!"

"I'm taking off your tie. Just relax." She slipped it over his head and threw it in the back seat.

"Be careful with that! It's silk." He stiffened slightly when she began unbuttoning his shirt. "What are - "

"Can you shut up for two minutes?" She unbuttoned the top three buttons. Her fingers brushed his neck and chest hair as she opened up the shirt. "There, that's better. Maybe you can take off the jacket as soon as we - oh my gosh, are you wearing your gun holster?" She took a quick peek under his jacket. "And your gun?"

"Of course," he answered, like carrying a gun was as common as carrying his wallet. "I always have my baby...uh, gun with me."

Adrienne raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing. She had noted the loving quality his voice had taken when he said "baby". His face had even softened for a brief moment. She shook her head in amusement. The longest relationship the guy probably had was with his gun. She reminded herself that she was not going to pry into his personal life. Whatever weird fetishes Lassiter had were none of her business.

She let out a tired sigh willing for the minutes, and the miles, to go by faster. It would be time for dinner by the time they reached her parent's house. She was looking forward to a nice, home-cooked meal and, finally, a good night's rest.

* * *

><p>"So, how did you two meet?" her mom asked, breaking the awkward silence at the dinner table.<p>

Adrienne's eyes flicked to Lassiter's who was sitting across from her. Damn. She had forgotten to come up with a "how we met" story.

"Hospital."

"Market."

They both spoke up at the same time. She frowned at him, and he raised his eyebrows at her, his blue eyes staring at her expectantly. She had said "market" because it was true, in part. Their first meeting had been at the corner store. Though, now that she thought about it, the hospital made more sense.

"Well...we _initially _met at the hospital. Detec - er...Carlton was injured, and I just happened to be in the emergency room at the time. Then, we ran into each other at the market a few days later, and the rest is history."

"How nice," her mom offered them a smile then reached over to pat Lassiter's hand. "Well, I can see why Adrienne took a liking to you, Carlton. You're such a nice, respectable young man."

Adrienne almost choked on the broccoli she was eating. She let out a cough, her eyes watering as she drank some water. Her father leaned over to pat her forcefully on the back, and she waved him off letting him know that she was okay.

"And how long have you been dating?" her mom asked innocently. Adrienne knew what she was getting at. Carlton was the first guy she had ever taken home so it was only natural for her to be curious.

"A month."

"Ten weeks."

Adrienne mentally facepalmed. She glared at Lassiter, ordering him with her eyes to shut up.

"_Honey_," she said through clenched teeth. "Remember, it's been ten weeks?"

"I'm sorry, _sweetheart_," Lassiter answered sarcastically, plastering a fake smile on his face. "I didn't realize you had been counting since the second we first met."

She gave her mom an apologetic smile. "These ten weeks have flown by so fast, it _does _seem like it's been less time."

"I understand," her mom answered, oblivious to Adrienne's and Lassiter's conflicting answers. "Your father and I have been married for almost forty years, and it seems like only yesterday that we met at the school dance. Isn't that right, John?"

Her father, who had been unnaturally quiet since their arrival, only nodded in response. His light brown eyes held a shadow of suspicion as he listened to the conversation, and Adrienne avoided looking at his gaze. She would tell him the truth when the time was right.

After clearing the dinner dishes, Adrienne and Lassiter followed her mom upstairs to the bedrooms. While Adrienne's body was trained to continue functioning with little to no sleep, knowing that there was a comfortable bed waiting for her was enough to almost make her drop from exhaustion. She immediately beelined it to her old room.

"I changed the sheets on your bed this morning so they're nice and clean, and there are fresh towels in the bathroom," her mom explained as she walked in with Lassiter.

Adrienne gave her mom a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, mom, you're the best." She placed her duffle bag on her desk chair and plopped herself on the bed. "Where's Carlton staying? In Evan's old room?"

"Adrienne, I'm under no pretenses that you two aren't having...relations..."

"Mom!" Adrienne could feel her face burning up. Lassiter had turned away from her so she couldn't see his face, which was just as well since she was mortified at her mom's comment.

"Now, now, we're all adults here. Carlton is staying here and that's final." Her mom turned to Lassiter. "Carlton, please make yourself at home and let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you, ma'am," Lassiter replied, the same fake smile on his face as he turned around. Her mom gave them both a knowing smile and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Once she was out of earshot, he turned to glare at Adrienne. "Are you kidding me! We're supposed to share a room now?"

"I thought we would be getting separate rooms!" Adrienne hissed back. "And what the hell was up with 'one month'? You seriously think I would bring someone home to meet my parents after only one month of dating? You're the first guy I bring home! It has to be something more serious than one month!"

"Yes, because two and a half months is 'serious'," he retorted. Something seemed to register in his mind, and he took a step back, his eyes lightening in surprise. "I'm the first guy you bring home? Really?"

"I..." Adrienne cursed under her breath. She hadn't meant for that to slip out. "Yes, you are," she conceded. "But, don't flatter yourself. Technically, this doesn't count because we're not dating."

"Of course we're not," he immediately agreed. "It's just a little hard to believe. I mean, you're..." He trailed off, making Adrienne frown as she waited for him to continue.

"I'm what?" she prompted.

"Nothing...never mind. Look, it's been a long day." He began to rummage through his bag.

"Agreed," she sighed. She went to her closet to grab an extra blanket and pillow and threw them on the floor. "Well, good night."

He gaped at her. "Why do _I _have to sleep on the floor?"

"Because this is my room, Gunny," she pointed out, stifling a yawn with the back of her hand. Her eyelids were starting to grow increasingly heavy. She curled up on the bed, watching him remove his suit jacket and gun holster and carefully hanging them on the back of the desk chair.

"Fine," he said gruffly, though the corner of his mouth had lifted into a grin at hearing his alias. He grabbed some clothes and toiletries from his bag and went into the bathroom.

Adrienne's eyes wandered from the bathroom door to Lassiter's gun holster. The shower started running, and she slowly slid off the bed. She had to admit, she was a bit curious about his "baby". She cautiously crept up to the chair and reached toward the holster...

"Don't even think about it!" Lassiter called out from inside the bathroom.

Adrienne jumped back in surprise, eyes quickly darting to the door, which was still closed. "How did you - "

"I just know," he replied.

She smiled despite herself as she made her way back to bed. Pulling down the covers, she jumped back in. She stayed awake a few more minutes, thinking about all that had happened the past couple of days. Her jumbled thoughts soon mixed into dreams of Clint Eastwood, silk ties, and a trigger happy detective with sky blue eyes.


End file.
